The life and times of Catherine de' Medici--the most powerful woman in sixteenth-century Europe--as seen through her often controversial role in religion and the arts. "The life and times of Catherine de' Medici--the most powerful woman in sixteenth-century Europe--as seen through her often controversial role in religion and the arts. During an age of heightened religious conflict, Catherine de' Medici lived her life at the center of sixteenth-century...

The inspiration for the STARZ original series, The Serpent Queen — second season premiering July 12th!

"A beautifully written portrait of a ruthless, subtle and fearless woman fighting for survival and power in a world of gangsterish brutality, routine assassination and religious mania. . . . Frieda has brought a largely forgotten heroine-villainess and a whole sumptuously vicious era back to

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Leaving her native Florence to marry Henry II of France, Catherine de Medici embarks on an unanticipated destiny of religious warfare, thwarted leadership, and psychologically charged royal machinations.

A novel set in the French royal court of Catherine de' Medici during the Renaissance follows Pedro Gonzales, an unusual man who, delivered by a slave broker into France's royal court, becomes the favorite of the queen who is determined to find him a bride. 1547: Pedro Gonzales, a young boy living on the island of Tenerife, understands that he is different from the other children in his village. He is mercilessly ridiculed for the hair covering his...

Dubbed the "Black Queen" of France, Catherine de' Medici came from one of the most powerful families in 15th-century Europe and, marrying into the French Royal Court, led a precarious life. This history details how Catherine, anxious to secure the power of her family, became the target of rumors about poisoning those who opposed her, was blamed for the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, and reportedly dabbled in the dark arts.

"The boldly original, dramatic, intertwined story of three queens exercising power in a world dominated by men"-- Orphaned from infancy, Catherine de' Medici endured a tumultuous childhood. Married to the French king, she was widowed by forty, only to become the power behind the French throne during a period of intense civil strife. In 1546, Catherine gave birth to a daughter, Elisabeth de Valois, who would become Queen of Spain. Two years later,...